We all have days or moments when we find ourselves reacting to daily challenges with our children. We may see ourselves as just getting through this day or this moment. I so know the feeling. It feels non-creative, dry, even desperate. Often, something is off; our diet, sleep, our self-connection, spiritual connection. Whatever it is, in these moments we forget that life is such a precious gift. That this life is our spiritual practice, and our children and truly everyone we come in contact with, our teachers.
Consciously remembering this usually helps me to move back into the awareness of my soul’s purpose and thus, move back into my connected self. Then I feel excited about the reminder that in every moment I can choose this kind of begrudging low energy, or I can choose goodness, love and compassion. Our ego/mind tends to complicate life. We sometimes think we need to have a specific response to each particular issue our children present us with. But all we really need to do is move into our heart and connect to the source of Love around and in us, and let it flow.
We practice being a vessel of Love by connecting within asking, “What is loving?” “Please help me see this through the eyes of Love.” Opening to the abundant Love that we are part of. We are so accustomed to seeing ourselves as victims, that when someone challenges us, upsets us, we give them so much power to topple us.
Instead, we can ask, “What would Love do?” “How can I be loving in the face of this?” There is so much more strength and power there. It transforms everything to come from this perspective, connected to our spiritual guidance and the love in us.
Every challenge becomes an interesting opportunity to learn all the nuances of this great gift of Love, beyond our imagination, beyond limitations, beyond status quo.
“What does capital L, Love really look like?.”
We have many great teachers of this, but our souls need the spiritual practice to grow and expand into the deep and true greatness of this Love. And the opportunity is right here, in the suburb (for me), in daily simple life. Each day, each moment, an opportunity to choose Love.
It simply shifts me to think of my life as mother, runner of errands, wiper of noses, giver of hugs (my favorite), cook, housekeeper, you know the list, ALL of it, ALL of life, being my spiritual practice. There is no where to go, nothing to do, just be in this life as a suburban monk/nun/disciple/follower of Love.